1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for removing a casted part for use in a die casting machine, and in particular to a method and an apparatus for removing a casted part for use in a die casting machine utilizing an electric clamping machine which is driven by a servomotor such that a movable die plate can be stopped and positioned in any desired position along the mold opening/closing direction.
2. Background Art
In a conventional die casting machine, in order to remove a casted part from a mold, a casted part-removing apparatus is installed on a fixed die plate, a movable die plate or floor of the machine as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-71411. After injecting a melt material into a mold cavity, the removal of a casted part is performed as described below.
First, the movable die plate is moved to a position that is an opening limit point of the mold. In this position, a chuck of a casted part-removing apparatus is advanced between a movable mold and a fixed mold. The chuck is generally configured to grasp a biscuit portion, as a handle, of a casted part attached to the movable mold. Then, the chuck is removed out of the mold while grasping the casted part attached to the movable mold.
The biscuit portion of the casted part to be grasped by the chuck varies in position depending on the mold to be used. Namely, depending on the thickness of the mold and the shape of the casted part, the distance from a mold-attaching face of the movable die plate to the biscuit portion varies. Therefore, in either case where a casted part-removing apparatus is installed on the fixed die plate, movable die plate or floor, a waiting position of the chuck of the casted part-removing apparatus, i.e., the position of a start point of a route along which the chuck is advanced toward the biscuit portion of the casted part must be set and changed corresponding to the position of the biscuit portion every time the mold to be used is changed.
In place of setting and changing the waiting position of the chuck of the casted part-removing apparatus, there is a method of adding an operation such that the chuck is moved also in the mold opening/closing direction corresponding to the biscuit position of the casted part every time the casted part is removed. In either case, such a casted part-removing apparatus in the conventional die casting machine may tend to render setting and changing and/or removing operation upon change of the mold complicated.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for removing a casted part from a die casting machine, which can overcome the problems as described above in the prior art, and which is for use in a die casting machine utilizing an electric clamping machine driven by a servomotor such that the movable die plate can be stopped and positioned in any desired position along the mold opening/closing direction, and which can perform a step of removing a casted part by utilizing a servomechanism of the clamping machine with ease and efficiency.